1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for accumulating strip steel. More particularly, the present invention relates to accumulator apparatus for strip steel that are used in a preliminary step prior to the formation of coil tubing. The present invention also relates to apparatus for facilitating the movement of a strip steel accumulator apparatus between a strip steel receiving position and a strip steel dispensing position.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98.
Coiled metal tubing has many applications in the petroleum industry. For example, coiled metal tubing can be used to inject high-pressure fluids into a well, to guide measuring instruments into a well, and in oil well drilling, production and flow line applications. Typically, the coiled metal tubing is stored on a large reel from which it can be uncoiled for insertion into the well and recoiled when the operation is complete.
Metal tubing is formed by bending a flat strip into a tubing and welding along the longitudinal seam. Because the length of strips commercially available is limited, the length of metal tubing which can be formed by this process is also limited.
Typically, a large amount of strip steel is placed on a reel. The strip steel can have a width of up to 15 feet and a length of approximately 500 feet. Ultimately, cutting operations are provided so as to cut the strip to a width which will correspond to the ultimate diameter of the coiled tubing produced from the strip. In order to accumulate the small width strips, a reel is provided upon which a length of the strip can be wrapped. Since the length of the strip will be approximately 500 feet, it is necessary to weld one end of one strip to the end of another strip and then wrap the combined strips around the wheel. Ultimately, this process is continued until a substantial length (e.g. 15,000 feet) is accumulated upon the reel.
After the strip steel is accumulated on to the reel, it is necessary move the reel from the receiving location to a dispensing location. The dispensing location will be in the nature of a seam welding apparatus and bending apparatus whereby the strip is bent so as to have a circular cross-section and then the seam is welded so as to form the coiled tubing. Ultimately, the coiled tubing is then wrapped around a spool for delivery to a well site.
Unfortunately, in the past, the great weight of the strip steel on the reel has made it exceedingly difficult to move the reel from the receiving location to the dispensing location. As such, a large number of persons are required so as to grasp the frame upon which the reel rotates and move the frame to the desired position. Under certain circumstances, up to twelve persons are required so as to effectively move the reel. This is not only time-consuming and expensive, it can also be somewhat dangerous to all the personnel involved in the movement of the reel.
So as to facilitate the movement of the reel, airbags have been deployed on the bottom of the base of the frame. These airbags dispense a stream of air therebelow such that the base can ride on a small cushion of air. Once again, it is extremely difficult to move and steer the reel and the frame to the desired location. The air cushion provides little are no directional control. As such, if movement is easy, then it becomes very difficult to stop the momentum created during this movement. Additionally, the momentum can also cause excessive turning. This could potentially result in the overturning of the frame and the reel. As such, need has developed so as to be able to properly move the frame and the reel from the receiving location to the dispensing location with a minimum involvement of personnel.
Additionally, during the dispensing of the strip steel, a great deal of inertia is created by the large amount of weight on the reel. As such, as the strip of steel is being dispensed, the momentum can cause the steel tube to flex and to undulate wildly. It is often necessary for the workers to manually control the rotation of the reel in order to prevent this problem from occurring. As such, a need has developed so as to be able to control the rotation of the reel during the dispensing of the strip steel in order to avoid these problems.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to the coiling and dispensing of strip steel. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,819, issued on Oct. 19, 1954 to Felton et al., describes the coiling of silicon steel strip. This method involves turning a partially formed coil of strip of previously bonded together sheets of silicon steel to continue formation of the coil, then successively bonding additional sheets of silicon steel to the trailing end of the strip while turning the coil so as to exert back tension on the strip between the trailing end of the strip and the coil and by the back tension alone causing the strip to form a straight even coil.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,268,998, issued on Aug. 30, 1966 to the Urushiyama et al., discloses a method for forming a sheet strip into a loose coil. This method includes the steps of placing a flammable material on the strip, rolling the strip of steel into a coil with the flammable material between the spires of the coil and spacing the spires of the coil. The coil is heated to burn away the flammable material completely so as to leave a space between the spires of the coil.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,433,398, issued on Mar. 18, 1969 to Fadden, shows a magnetic bridal in the unit for winding steel strip. The apparatus utilizes a bridal unit having an electromagnetic roll about which the single strip or multiplicity of strands pass prior to coiling on a take-up reel. The adjustable magnetic force of the bridal unit is sufficient to control and maintain a predetermined tension in each of the strands being wound on the take-up reel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,698,223, issued Oct. 17, 1970 to H. Sagara, describes an apparatus for spirally winding strip metal. This apparatus comprises a pressure roll for urging the strip metal into a coil. Feed rolls serve to feed the strip material to the pressure roll and combined with the pressure roll to increase the radius of the strip material immediately preceding its application to the coil. A means is provided for supporting the coil as it is wound and for maintaining the coil in contact with the pressure roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,143, issued on Sep. 2, 1997 to R. E. Stagg, shows a dual bias weld for continuous coiled tubing. Tubing is first formed from a first strip and a second strip. The first and second strips are of the same width. A planar end surface is formed on an end of this first strip. Similarly, a planar end surface is formed on an end of a second strip. The composite strip is formed by welding the planar end surface of the first strip to the planar end surface of the second strip so as to form a dual bias weld. Coiled metal tubing is then formed from the composite strip.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,007,014, issued on Dec. 28, 1999 to J. Kruger, describes a winding machine for the production of at least one coil of supplied material web. The material web is guided through a longitudinal cutting device and the partial webs of the longitudinally cut material web are each wound up into a core. A coil arising on the core is supported by at least one support roll. A web tension interruption device is provided in the running direction of the web directly in front of a portion where the supplied material web run into the associated support roll. At least one roll is spatially separate from the associated support roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,283, issued on Mar. 21, 2002 to Munoz-Baca et al., teaches a thin strip coiling system. The system includes a flap guide positionable in at least two positions. The first position contacts a pinch roll during the initial threading portion of each strip to be coiled and a second normal operating position without contact with the pinch roll when the strip is being wound in the predetermined coiler.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,832,077, issued on Nov. 16, 2010 to J. Crawford, shows a method of manufacturing a coiled tube system which involves introducing a first continuous length of coiled tubing onto a surface of a continuous length of flat material, arranging the first coiled tubing such that the longitudinal axis of the first coiled tubing is parallel to the sides of the flat material, fixing the first coiled tubing along the length of the surface of the flat metal, and forming the flat metal into a second continuous length of coiled tubing that contains the first coiled tubing.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an accumulator apparatus which effectively allows for the accumulation of strip steel thereon.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accumulator apparatus that can be easily moved.
It a further object of the present invention to provide an accumulator apparatus which can be manipulated and moved by a minimum number of personnel.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an accumulator apparatus in which the accumulator apparatus can be easily moved from a receiving location to a dispensing location.
It is still further object the present invention to provide an accumulator apparatus which avoids the problems associated with momentum of the frame or with inertia of the reel during the dispensing of the strip steel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an accumulator apparatus which enhances the safety to personnel involved in the use in the use of the accumulator apparatus.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an accumulator apparatus which is easy-to-use, easy to manufacture and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.